Wow your cu ers 3 ke.ys fo amtingcustomer serrzice

By Dennis Snow and Teri Yanovitch

becomes an intrusion on the customer experience. These intrusions add up and result in customer concern. On the other hand, when customers sense an atmosphere of professionalism, care, and order, they feel a sense of confidence.

How many times have you seen employees in a business walk right by trash on the floor or a display that has been bumped out of alignment?

Employees who understand that everything speaks will take a moment to pick up some wadded paper and straighten the display because they know that such behaviors have a direct impact on the customer experience.

3. Create customer "wowst' lf-r REAT service feels like a gift. It \fmakes us want to continue to do business with an organization over the long haul. And that alone is the secret to business success-retain customers by providing great customer service.

More than two-thirds of customers who defect do so because of poor service. So what can your company do to achieve customer loyalty? Assuming your products and prices are competitive, here are three simple steps to help ensure your customers stay with your company.

1. toot through the customer's lens

Because customers have a choice of where to obtain goods or services. a business must convince the customer that it truly cares. An engaged, caring employee raises the customer's confidence that the business is looking out for the customer's interests.

When that employee suggests a new product or service, the customer trusts that his or her best interest is at heart. On the flip side, if the customer senses a lack of caring, he or she will question the motives behind any recommendation.

Every business has its jargon, so be careful to speak in a language that customers understand. Successful businesses speak the language of the customer.

Complaints can be frustrating for customers and employees alike. As employees, we often can't understand why a customer is making such a big deal about a particular issue. Didn't the customer read the contract?

(Probably not.) Doesn't the customer understand that researching a problem takes time? (No. They don't.) Remember. it's not the customer's job to see through the business's lens; it's the business's job to see through the customer's lens and show an understandi ng of their frustration.

2. Everything speaks Imagine visiting a fine dining restaurant for a special occasion. You've been looking forward to the meal and you've heard good things about the restaurant. Then imagine noticing something crusty dried to your silverware and old lipstick marks on your water glass. Wouldn't You begin worrying about the cleanliness and quality of everything else in the restaurant? Everything speaks.

Now imagine a customer entering your place of business. She notices trash in the parking lot. Inside, she sees stacks of cluttered merchandise. She sees employees standing around eating and having personal conversations. It all detracts from your business's image. Consciously or unconsciously, it raises customers' antennae and makes them question, "Do I really want to spend my money here?"

The "everything speaks" philosophy means all employees understand that even the "little things" count. So pay attention to everything, including whether the physical environment is neat and clean, whether all necessary supplies are available, and whether employees are dressed appropriately. Anything that sticks out as "wrong"

Small gestures can create customer wows. Remembering a customer's name is a huge wow, as it creates a feeling of family. Letting a customer know that another product may better meet their needs is another wow. Sending a a handwritten note of thanks for a large order is a wow. Some wows are small and some are large, but make no mistake about it, wows add up.

One of the most powerful ways to create wows is to share best practices with fellow employees. Hold a company meeting so employees can share things they have done that dazzled customers. Just talking about these behaviors increases the likelihood that others will adopt some of the practices or create new ones of their own. It is also likely that some wows can become standard procedure, whether it's a grocery store bakery handing out fresh-baked cookies to children, or a vendor buying lunch once a month for salespeople.

Next time you're helping a customer, ask yourself, "Will my behaviors make this customer say or think, 'wow'?"

Excellent service is not about policy manuals. It's about excellent behaviors. When employees focus on excellent service, the results can be magical. The key is to make service excellence a habit. Encourage every employee to internalize these steps so they become habits. When employees focus on these principles, your company will achieve the most powerful result of all: intense customer loyalty.

- Full-time speakers, consultants and sales trainers, Dennis Snow and Teri Yanovitch previously worked fitr the Walt Disney World Co. Their book, Unleashing Excellence, is available through www. retai nlovalc ustome rs. c om.

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Boyle Lumben Danville, Ky., is closing after nearly 80 years

Ace Hardware has opened in Lincoln, Il. (Will Anderson, mgr.); the 13,000-sq. ft. hardware store with outside garden center is the 8th Ace franchise in central Illinois owned by Lucy Bagot and her brother, George W. Preckwinkle ...

RP Lumber hopes to open lumberyard No. 28 by April in Bethalto, Il.

Ryan's Ace Hardware Super Store & Rentals opens late this month in 22,8O0 sq. ft. of a former Kmart building in Newburgh, In. (Tim, Ray and Nancy Ryan, owners; Herb Porter, ex-Kuester's Hardware, merchandise mgr.) ...

Tenney's Lumber Mil/, Saxtons River, Vt., closed Jan. I after more than 50 years

Paxton's True Value Hardware is building a larger, 9,600-sq. ft. store in Paxton, Il. ...

McCoy's Building Supply Centers held a grand reopening at its newly redesigned store in Harlingen, Tx.

Sutherland Lumber will expand its Frontenac. Ks.. location

84 Lumber Ca. plans to open a 30,000-sq. ft. store in Bradenton

Fl., by June ...

Wickes, Vernon Hills, Il., agreed to repurchase $3.55 million in stock from Barry Segal, president and c.e.o., Bradco Supply

Woodworkers Warehouse, Lynn, Ma., is liquidating its 99 stores in 10 eastern states after filing Chapter ll bankruptcy ...

Home Depot this month opens new home centers in Dothan and Scottsboro, Al.; Conway and S. Little Rock. Ar.: Middletown. Ct.: Apopka, E. Hialeah, Winter Haven and Zephyrhills, Fl.; Calhoun and Commerce, Ga.; Rockland and Topsham, Me.; Carol Stream, Elk Grove Village and Countryside, Il.;

Oxford, Ms.; Macomb Township, Mi.; Mansfield, Ma.; Shakopee, Mn.; Hooksett and Somersworth, N.H.; Mahwah, N.J.; Batavia, Shirley and Watertown, N.Y.; Jacksonville and Rocky Mount, N.C.: SW Omaha. Ne.: Brunswick. Hilliard and Sandusky, Oh.; Owasso and SW Tulsa. Ok.: Uniontown, Pa.; Middletown, R.I.; Lancaster. S.C.: Monistown. Tn.: Balch Springs, Lufkin, W. McKinney and Victoria, Tx.; Bennington and Brattleboro, Vt.; Vienna (Parkersburg), W.V.; Mukwonago, Wi., and a Landscape Supply store in N. Dallas, Tx. ...

Home Depot will build a store in Pittsburg, Ks.; agreed to acquire maintenance products wholesaler Economy Maintenance Supply Co., Sterling, Va., and inked a deal with Tembec for access to larger amounts of FSC-certified SPF

Lowe's Cos. opened new stores Jan. 1 in Erwin, N.C., and late last year in S. Tampa, Fl.; Quincy, Il.; Bluffton and Portage, In.; Coralville and Sioux City, Ia.; Campbellsville, Ky.; S. Clinton Township, Mi.; Batesville and McComb, Ms.; Webster, N.Y.; Erwin. N.C.: Claremore. Ok.: York. S.C.: Lebanon. Tn.. and South Boston, Va.

Lowe's will build a 1.3 million sq. ft. DC in Plainfield, Ct., by early 2005; received city council approval to build a 165,000-sq. ft. store in Sunset Valley (SW Austin), Tx., and has selected two sites in metro Atlanta, Ga. the chain has begun repurchasing up to $1 billion of company shares

Hughes Supply, Orlando, Fl., agreed to acquire Century Maintenance Supply, Houston, Tx., for $360 million ...

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Reed Millwork, Bethlehem, Pa., agreed to acquire Delmarva Sash & Door Co.,Barclay, Md.

C olumbus Lumber, Brookhaven, Ms., has converted to ACQ

North Santiam Lumber Co., Columbus, Oh., has added a DC in Mt. Summit, In.

Eastex Forest Products, Houston, Tx., expects to have two cylinders converted to ACQ by Jan. 12; its third cylinder will continue with CCA

Atlantic Industrial Wood Products, Keller, Tx., has been formed by Rick Muller, ex-Conner Industries

Burt Lumber Co., Washington, Ga., anticipated its treating plant would be back on line in midJanuary following a conversion from CCA to copper azole

Babcock Lumber Co., St. Marys, Pa., sustained a sawdust fire Dec. 5 ...

Elder Wood Preserving, Mansura, La., converted a cylinder to ACQ late last month ...

Gregory Wood Products Inc. will build a $20 million sawmill in Catawba County, N.C.; the first phase of the plant should be completed by the end of the year, with the second phase slated to be operational by mid-2006

Louisiana Pacific began curtailing operations at its Woodland, Me.. OSB mill Dec. 8 due to insufficient log supplies, but hopes to restart the facility in April; L-P purchased the once-idle mill from Georgia-Pacific 16 months ago and restarted it in June

Northern Lights Timber & Lumber, Orr, Mn., will invest $1.2 million to buy a kiln, chipper and edger and construct a building to house the kiln

Weyerhaeuser Co. agreed to sell 160,000 acres of timberlands in western North Carolina and South Carolina to Forest Investment Associates LP, Atlanta, Ga., for $140 million

Tapco International Corp., Imlay City, Mi., has acquired shake and shingle producer Miami Foundry, Middletown, Oh., and renamed itThe Foundry

Housing starts in Nov. (latest figures) climbed 4.5Vo to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.07 million ... single family starts rose

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Listings are rften submitted months in advance. Always veriJ! dates arul locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

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Indiana Lumber & Builders' Supply Assn. - Jan. 15, competitive advantage seminar, Indianapolis, In.; (317) 8'75-373'7

Emery-Waterhouse Co. - Jan. 16-18, marketplace, Rhode Isl and Convention Center. Providence. R. I. ; (207)'7 1 5 -237 l.

Monroe Hardware Co. - Jan. 17-18, spring dealer market, Charlotte Merchandise Mart, Charlotte, N.C.; (704) 289-3121.

American Hardware Manufacturers Association - Jan. 18-20, executive conference, Orlando, Fl.; (407) 503-3000.

International Builders' Show - Jan. 19-22, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 368-5242.

Michigan Lumber & Building Materials Association - Jan. 2O-22,expo, Grand Rapids, Mi.; (517) 394-5225.

International Mass Retail Association - Jan. 25-27, leadership forum, The Phoenician, Scottsdale, Az; (703) 841-2300.

National Association of Wholesale Distributors - Jan, 26-28, executive summit, Washington, D.C.; (2O2) 872-0885.

Northwestern Lumber Association - Jan. 26-28, annual expo, Radisson South Hotel, Bloomington, Mn.; (763) 544-6822.

House-Hasson Hardware Co. - Jan. 29-31, spring market, Opryland Hotel, Nashvi lle, Tn. ; (865 ) 525 -047 l.

Do it Best Corp. - Jan. 30-31, winter market, Kissimmee, Fl.; (260) 748-5300.

Mid South Building Material Dealers Association - Jan. 30-31, annual meeting & show, Natchez, Ms.;(877) 828-3315.

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Northwestern Lumber Association - Feb. 2, pro sales seminar; Feb. 3, yard management seminar; Feb. 4, retail merchandising seminar, Shakopee, Mn.; (800) 896-5140.

Lumbermen's Association of Texas - Feb. 3-5, estimating seminars, Austin, Tx.; (512) 472-1194.

Harry L. Folsom Hoo-Hoo Club - Feb. 5, president's reception, Seaport Bar 7 Grille, Boston, Ma.; (978) 229-2014.

Southern Building Material Association - Feb. 5-6, annual buying show, High Point, N.C.;(704) 376-1503.

Lumbermen's Assn. of Texas - Feb. 5-7, board & committee meetings,4 Points Sheraton, New Orleans, La.; (512) 472-1194.

Northeastern Retail Lumber Association - Feb. 5-7, annual expo, World Trade Center, Boston, Ma.; (800) 292-6752.

Illinois Lumber & Material Dealers Association - Feb. 9-10, show, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Il.; (800) 252-8641.

Wood Moulding & Millwork Producers Association - Feb. l012, winter meeting, Amelia Island, Fl. ; (530) 661-959 I

Indiana Lumber & Builders' Supply Association - Feb. 11, customer service seminar; Feb. 12, yard foreman seminar, Indianapolis, In.; (3 17) 875-3737.

Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association - Feb. ll-12, annual convention & show, Green Bay, Wi.: (262) 250- 1835.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association - Feb. 12, yard foreman training, Tulsa, Ok.; (800)'74'7-6529.

Builders Trade 04 - Feb. 12-13, Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, Ma.; (508) 743-0151.

DeckExpo - F eb. 12-14, Reno, Nv. ; (67 8) 3 44-6283, Orgill, Inc. - Feb. 12-14, spring dealer market, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fl.; (901) 754-8850.

Handy Hardware Wholesale - Feb. 13-15, market, Houston, Tx.; (713) 644-1495.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association - Feb. 16-17, basic estimating, Oklahoma City, Ok.; (8OO) 7 47 -6529

South Dakota Retail Lumberman's Convention - Feb. 17-18, Ramkota Inn, Sioux Falls, S.D.; (605) 336-3460.